Defense & Security

SDF to Send Planes to Help Japanese Nationals Evacuate Israel, Iran; Dispatch Orders Given Based on Foreign Ministry Request

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
A C-2 transport aircraft takes off for Afghanistan from the Iruma Air Base in Saitama Prefecture in August 2021.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 20, 2025

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Thursday he has ordered Air Self-Defense Force transport planes to be dispatched to Djibouti to stand by as part of preparations to help Japanese nationals evacuate Israel and Iran amid the escalating conflict between the two countries.

The order, based on a request from the Foreign Ministry, was issued Thursday morning to the commander of the Self-Defense Forces’ Join Operations Command.

The Defense Ministry plans to dispatch two C-2 transport aircraft for the east African country as soon as by the end of this week from the ASDF’s Miho Air Base in Tottori Prefecture.

The SDF has a facility in Djibouti that serves as a base for anti-piracy operations, allowing aircraft to be on standby and receive maintenance there.

“Tensions in the Middle East are escalating even further,” Nakatani said during a press conference on the day. “We will do our best to ensure the safety of Japanese nationals [in the two countries].”

There are about 1,000 Japanese nationals still in Israel and about 280 in Iran.